Failure to Launch

North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Friday, but it broke apart before escaping the earth's atmosphere and fell into the sea.

The launch drew condemnation from United States and other countries in the region, as well as an unusual admission of failure from Pyongyang, which had invited in journalists and space experts from around the world for the occasion.

In a break from previous practice, the North Korean state media announced that the rocket had not managed to put the satellite into orbit. In the past, North Korea has insisted that failed launches have been successful.

"Scientists, technicians and experts are now looking into the cause of the failure," the official Korean Central News Agency said in a report, which was also read out in a news broadcast on state-run television.

Earlier this week, state media had heralded the launch as "an inspiring deed and an event of historic significance of the nation as it demonstrates the leaping development of space science and technology of the country."

South Korea, which has criticized the launch as a "grave provocation," said it was searching the waters near where the rocket fell for debris -- a chance to gain insights into the North's technology.